1. The Path to Victory

2.  AFTER 3 years of fighting, the British decided to move the war SOUTH  December 1778 – British capture Savannah and then conquer most of Georgia  Battle of Charles Town – British General Henry Clinton trapped Americans and they surrendered – worst defeat

3.  American General Horatio Gates met BritishGeneral Lord Cornwallis August 1780  Americans half-starved, panicked & fled  They left Baron De Kalb and his soldiers behind - DeKalb died  American spirits hit a low

4.  British still not gain control of SOUTH  Countryside filled with hostel rebel sympathizers  “Swamp Fox” – famous guerilla leader Francis Marion – led cunning attacks for this base in the swamps

5.  Washington puts General Greene in charge of American army after Gen Horatio Gates defeat  Jan 1781 wins a battle against Lord Cornwallis at Cowpens, South Carolina  March 1781 wins against Lord Cornwallis in Battle of Guilford  BRITISH FINALLY ADMIT THEIR SOUTHERN STRATEGY HAD FAILED

6.  Cornwallis marched to Yorktown, Virginia to await supplied by ship from NY  Washington joined with French General Jean Rochambeau and marched south from NY  French ship from West Indies blocked the Chesapeake Bay – preventing supplied to Yorktown  BATTLE OF YORKTOWN had begun

7.  British try to protect self with redoubts (small forts) encircling town  But when Americans captured redoubts, they able to move closer to British  October 9, 1781 Cornwallis surrendered!  British Prime Minister Lord North gasped – “It’s all over!!”

8. AMERICAN STRENGHTSBRITISH WEAKNESSES  MOTIVATION – fought for lives, property, ideals  POPULAR SUPPORT – many civilians supported revolution  LEADERSHIP – inspired loyalty and patriotism  FOREIGN ALLIES – French, Spanish & Dutch  MOTIVATION – fought for pay  POPULAR SUPPORT – no widespread support in Britain  LEADERSHIP – over- confident, disunited  FOREIGN ALLIES – None. Many turned against GB

9. AMERICAN STRENGTHSBRITISH WEAKNESSES  COMMUNICATION & SUPPLIES – fought close to home; made sure British not live off land  TROOP STRENGTH – fewer troops, but local militia helped.  250,000 fought for Patriot cause  COMMUNICATION & SUPPLIES – orders from London took months; had to transport over 3000 miles  TROOP STRENGTH –  54,000 British troops

10.  George Washington wrote farewell letter to his armies –  “ (the armies endurance) through almost every possible suffering and discouragement for the space of eight long years, was little short of a standing miracle.”